Two-component container and package

Abstract

The rims of two plastic cups are heat sealed to each other by means of an interposed, plastic-coated aluminum foil which seals the cavities of the two cups and their contents from each other and constitutes the sole fastening element connecting the cups. At least one integral, plastic piercing thorn projects from the flexible bottom wall in the cavity of one cup, and manual pressure applied to the exposed outer face of the bottom wall may cause the blade to pierce the aluminum foil so that the contents of the two cavities may be mixed and thereafter discharged through a normally plugged spout on one bottom wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A container comprising: (a) a first shell and a second shell, (1) each shell being cup-shaped and having a bottom wall and an annular side wall transverse to said bottom wall,   (2) said walls bounding respective cavities in said shells;   (3) each side wall having an annular rim portion remote from the associated bottom wall and bounding a side of the cavity in the shell open toward the other shell;     (b) fastening means fixedly fastening the rim portions of said shells to each other, said fastening means consisting essentially of a frangible partition of sheet material having two opposite major faces separated by the thickness of said partition, said faces being fixedly fastened to said rim portions respectively and respectively sealing the open sides of said cavities from each other; and   (c) a piercing member mounted on the bottom wall of said first shell for movement transverse to said major faces into piercing engagement with said partition.   
     
     
       2. A container as set forth in claim 1, wherein a portion of the bottom wall of said first shell is flexible and integrally fastened to said piercing member for said transverse movement therewith. 
     
     
       3. A container as set forth in claim 2, wherein said portion of said bottom wall has a face exposed outside the cavity of said first shell for manual displacement of said portion in said transverse direction. 
     
     
       4. A container as set forth in claim 1, wherein said sheet material includes a metal foil and two layers of adhesive material interposed between said foil and said rim portions respectively, said layers fixedly fastening said foil to said rim portions respectively and constituting the sole means fastening said rim portions to said foil and thereby to each other. 
     
     
       5. A container as set forth in claim 4, wherein said adhesive material consists essentially of thermoplastic synthetic resin composition, the metal in said foil consisting essentially of aluminum. 
     
     
       6. A container as set forth in claim 5, wherein said rim portions consist essentially of thermoplastic synthetic resin composition heat sealed to said adhesive material. 
     
     
       7. A container as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rim portions have respective, cylindrical, annular faces, and said partition has a cylindrical, marginal portion interposed between said annular faces of said rim portions and fixedly fastened to said annular faces in sealing engagement. 
     
     
       8. A container as set forth in claim 1, one of said shells being formed with an opening therethrough, and plugging means for plugging said opening. 
     
     
       9. A two-component package comprising a container as set forth in claim 1 and two different liquids sealed from each other and from the ambient atmosphere in said cavities respectively by said shells and said partition.